


What Goes On in Riverdale

by reddawns



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Cute, F/M, Humor, Imagines, One-Shots, Other, Riverdale, Romance, The CW, archie comics - Freeform, jughead - Freeform, y/n
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24689947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddawns/pseuds/reddawns
Summary: Imagines based loosely on the Archie Comics’ characters and The CW’s series Riverdale. I take requests!
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Reader
Kudos: 7





	What Goes On in Riverdale

“You know what turns me on?” I ask, breathing heavily out my nostrils. I can vaguely see myself in the muggy reflection of the television, and I look fierce. Jughead, however, stands crooked with his ebony eyebrows pinched, visibly ashamed—whether of me or himself, I have yet to discover.

“What?” he shouts. “You gonna tell me at some point?”

“Making a statement,” I spit back, jabbing my index finger down at the ground as if it helps. Jughead recoils, taken by my backwards answer. He’s about to ask me what I mean, I can feel it. But I interrupt him before the words even form on the tip of his tongue: “Not a bouquet of flowers you can’t afford. Not a suit you obviously don’t want to wear. But what _really_ upsets me about all this—” (I whirl my finger around at the dolled up trailer, wondering why the hell Jughead assumed this would do) “—is that you clearly think I look at you like you’re insufficient.”

“What?”

He releases his tight fists, takes a step closer to me, and I do the same. The top buttons of his shirt have been ripped open, presumably by an angry outburst that I missed while powdering my nose. But his eyes are less furious now and more soft in shape, remorseful in color. I almost back down, seeing as I've hurt this puppy.

“How long have we been doing this, Jug?” I ask, my voice reading as exhausted. I am, to be completely honest. “It pains me when you try and please me by being some latter-day Romeo Montegue. Just for once, have faith in yourself because _this_ isn’t the Forsythe Pendleton Jones III that I thought I knew. And until you do that, I’m leaving.”

I wheel around fast enough that I don’t have to witness Jughead’s reaction. Before I know it, my sneakers are sinking into muddy turf, leaving a trail of footprints from the trailer’s door to my car, where I most definitely _will_ be crying. I not only embarrassed Jughead in there but also myself, as speaking my feelings isn’t particularly easy for me. The mist outside has made my car door handle slippery.

When I first went into Jughead’s trailer this evening, I was surprised. Pleasantly, I should specify. There was champagne already poured into flutes and mood lighting overhead and a beautiful soundtrack contained in that little space, and I was immediately enamoured. But when Jughead came out of his room to greet me wearing a suit and tie—which is explicitly the _opposite_ of his brand—and fitted a cluster of carnations into the crook of my arm, I realized this night wasn’t designated for us, it was for me. Only me.

I turn the ignition in my car and nearly jump out of my skin when Jughead appears in the windshield, approaching me. He is hard to see but shouts something at me, so I unlock the doors, and he enters with this force about him that startles me. It’s as if I can breathe his energy.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Jug says, exasperated by running to catch up with me. “That I did all of this out of insecurity, as a final push to get you to be with me. But you, of all people, should know that I don’t roll that way.”

 _You, of all people_ …. It’s almost mechanical how he singles me out.

I can’t bring myself to speak just yet. Jughead’s breaths are loud and harsh, determined almost, like his political rallies and Serpent pep talks. I’m seeing his true colors again.

He continues, “I trust that you know that about me, and that your confrontation just now was just your subconscious telling you we were headed somewhere _real_ . But did you ever stop to think about why I _actually_ set this date up for us? Because I don’t think you’ve properly acknowledged how difficult this life is, and that even I—even people like me—want to be normal sometimes, just for a night. So yes, normal people wear business casual and toast to new beginnings and other senseless shit that _we_ don’t get to because we’re inferior. Normal people surprise their partners with trysts like this and don’t give each other shit about it. I just wanted that for one evening with you because…because my life is dangerous, and there’s probably not much left of it before rock bottom sends shock waves all through my bones. And when that happens, it’ll break me for good.”

His voice is loud and booming and, if not for the peaceful interior of my car, it would probably echo. The red rings under his sea-colored eyes are full and sickly. I can feel his exhalations hitting my face, warm cloud after warm cloud. I start to smile as he regathers his calm.

“What is it?” he asks, seeming offended by my sudden change of mood. When I stay quiet for another moment, he shakes his head and fixes his posture so that he is staring straight out the windshield and coldly ignoring my countenance. “I can’t believe—”

“Jug,” I say quietly.

He snaps his face toward me, the pins on his beanie catching the light from a nearby lamppost. Inspired, I reach up to the ceiling and provide some light of my own, noticing how heated Jughead truly is only when I can properly see his face.

“You’re back,” I smile.

“If this is a joke you’re playing, it’s risky,” he answers, using a normal volume at last. “So what are you saying, you’re over it? You forgive me?”

“You could say that,” I nod, “yeah. But I’d hate to let your efforts in there go unappreciated.”

“You just told me you hated it,” he shakes his head, utterly flummoxed.

“Your words, not mine. I’m just saying I understand now,” I tell him. “About seeking normalcy for a change. It was just so abrupt that I didn’t stop to think about it.”

Jughead finally smiles at me, that million-dollar smile that makes the room brighter. It’s not often that I get to see that.

He cocks his head toward the trailer again, inviting me in for a night not spoiled. The champagne is still bubbling and the music is still playing when we step inside; it’s like that cyclone of harsh feelings has passed us and the rest of the night is unapologetically ours. I insist Jughead changes out of his suit because for one, the jacket part of it has been hanging on the back of a chair since the onset of our argument, and for two, despite how handsome and rugged he looks in a button-down shirt, he despises it. It couldn’t be more clear. Besides, I am feeling a bit civilian in comparison because of my plain jeans and sweatshirt.

Jughead returns from his bedroom wearing baggy trousers, a tank top, and a flannel looped around his waist as though he’s been working a construction job with Archie and Fred all day, save for the sweat. The beanie remains poised atop his blackish hair—something I’ve always appreciated about Jughead’s appearance. He smirks at me from across the room, gestures at the little dining area with a grand sweep of his arm, and joins me at the table.

I raise my champagne and hesitate before sipping. “I have a proposal.”

“Hit me,” Jughead says.

“Tonight has been a whirlwind of expression and opinion that I never thought I’d get to hear from you,” I chuckle, staring proudly at Jughead with my head tilted in admiration. “And while we were just having fun with each other for the summer, you said something tonight that made me realize I’ve never been closer to another human being in my life.”

Jughead narrows his eyes at me, but he doesn’t look wounded by my implications.

“What do you say we make this official, Jughead Jones?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for reading and leaving kudos!
> 
> If you have any one-shot or imagine requests, feel free to comment them :) but be specific!


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